The Space Between the Coin
by Merlinfanatic77
Summary: When Princess Cynthia's parents are killed by Morgana,she goes to Camelot for protection.But,Cynthia has a secret: She has magic.Will she and Merlin be able to keep each others backs, or will their secrets be revealed?
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! The first thing I want to say is THIS IS NOT MY STORY! My friend, Blood thirsty animal, writes from Cynthia's point of view. I write from Merlin and Arthur's. We are co-authors. She doesn't think we'll get any reviews, but I know you will PROVE HER WRONG! You guys are SO amazing, and I know you can just push that little, blue button. Well, I won't keep you too long, or my AN will be longer than my story! LOL! :D READ ON!

Chapter One: The Fallen Kingdom

The feeling of the cold stone floor against Cynthia's cheek was not something to be desired. It had been almost three days since Morgana and Mordred had killed her mother and father, and she had not yet moved from the spot where they had fallen. Their bodies had been moved and cleaned but she had not. Servants and knights would move around her asking her to get up, some even ordered her too, yet all she did was blink in response. Sometimes if the men were lucky enough to get a response, they would see her eyes flash a familiar golden. Then the man would be moved back towards the door with a slight warning not to say anymore. Mordred and Morgana had left after the kill not bothering to kill anyone else. After all, they had bigger things to plan. Cynthia closed her eyes and pulled her legs closer to her, a slight growling in her stomach making her moan. She had not eaten for at least three days, and she was beginning to weaken. She knew it was stupid to stay on the floor -after all it wasn't comfortable- but it was just too hard to move. The door slowly opened, and a knight moved across the hall to the young adult princess. He was the most trusted knight of the kingdom with so much respect, more so then anyone twenty something was meant to have. Her eyes slowly caught the man's and tears shone in them. The man may have just been a knight, but he had been loyal to the king. With a sad sigh, the man took her hand, which she had slowly stretched out, and began the slow process of helping her move. After all, she was weak from starvation and had tried to fight the two sorcerers but with no luck. It wasn't that she was weak; it was more that she had been outnumbered and Mordred and Morgana were both powerful. She closed her eyes as images struck her mind, and she moaned with sadness, as the knight seemed to lead her somewhere.

~ In Camelot ~

Merlin groggily sat up and blinked. Was it morning already? He yawned and stretched his sore muscles. Arthur had given him loads of chores yesterday in preparation for Lady Cynthia's arrival.

'Poor Cynthia.' Merlin thought. 'His mother and her father killed… by Morgana no less.' He felt his jaw clench, and he tried to relax. He would not ruin his day by thinking of her.

Merlin got out of the bed and put on a plum-colored tunic, his usual brown breeches and boots, and a blood-red neckerchief. He ran down the stairs, grabbed a piece of bread, and yelled "Goodbye, Gauis!" on his way out. Today would be a good day. He was sure of it.

~ In a far-away kingdom ~

As the images after five minutes or however long it had been (it had felt like a life time) had dissipated, she opened her eyes slowly to find that she was in a bright courtyard with many knights on horseback. The place apart from the knights looked deserted. What was going on? "We were told that if the king and queen were ever killed that we were to tell the villagers to leave the castle and head somewhere else. All the knights were to take you, the princess, to Camelot where you will be safe," one of the knight's voices rang out to her. He was on the horse in front of her, and it troubled her that she had not bothered to learn any of the knight's names. After all, her mother had requested her not to and now her mother and father were dead and buried, and they wanted her to leave the only home she had ever known. After many hours of sitting on the steps of her home and reminiscing about the times that she had played in the square and rode her horse through the forest near the castle, she was finally ready to leave. After a sad goodbye, she mounted her white horse that she called Shadow and galloped away from her home. Silent tears left her eyes and made small tear tracks on her puffy cheeks. The sound of clattering hooves on the stone ground invaded her mind, anything to stop her thinking about what had happened. Almost fifty knights rode with her, and the rest had been dispersed to loyal kingdoms sending word of the fallen kingdom or joining the army. It was a few days ride to Camelot, but the days seemed to pass quickly and the food that she was given seemed to ease the pain a little. She would not recover lightly, even with her magic, she knew that much.

~ In Camelot ~

Merlin struggled into Arthur's chambers, trying to balance a teetering pile of laundry. His attempts were in vain, and some of the shirts toppled to the cold, stone floor.

"You really are hopeless, aren't you?" Arthur walked over, picked up the unfortunate tunics, and handed them to Merlin. "Here." He said kindly.

"Thanks." Merlin smiled as he took the clothes from Arthur and sat them on his desk.

Arthur had changed so much in the past few years! Gone was the arrogant, prattish prince, and in his place was a king who was compassionate and loved his people. He had changed because of one person… one warlock.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted as his friend tripped over a bucket.

"Sorry." He muttered. "Oh, and I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Arthur rolled his eyes but held out his hand to Merlin and helped him up.

Merlin smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"Well, I couldn't have my servant slacking off of his duties, sitting on the ground, relaxing even, could I?" Arthur said, playfully.

Merlin nudged Arthur. "If I was stuck on the floor, you wouldn't be alive!"

Arthur laughed. "I think it's the other way around."

Now it was Merlin's turn to roll his eyes. "Come on, sire. It's time for you to get dressed."

"I already am."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. (Had he been taking lessons from Gauis?) "I don't think that's the best combination, Arthur." He chuckled. "Unless you want Lady Cynthia to think you're an artless, beetle-headed barnacle!"

"My, my, Merlin, such impressive vocabulary skills." Arthur looked down at his purple tunic, brown pant, and red jacket. "Now, would you kindly tell me what is wrong with the outfit?"

"Well, for one thing, you're wearing two different boots!" Merlin smirked. "You really are useless, aren't you?" He said, impersonating Arthur. Arthur glared at Merlin and tried to keep a straight face. In a second, they both doubled over in laughter. It was then that a guard rapped on Arthur's door.

"Sire," The guard bowed. "Lady Cynthia has arrived."

"Thank-you." Arthur dismissed the guard and turned back to Merlin. "Well, you'd better hurry!"

Merlin grinned and set about dressing Arthur in a midnight-blue tunic, black breeches, matching boots, and a red Camelonian cloak. He stepped back to admire his work. "Perfect."

"If you say so. Come on!" Arthur led the way out of his chambers, through the many corridors, and out the grand castle doors to Lady Cynthia.

**Loved it? Hated it? As I've said in previous author's notes, I only have an hour per day to reply to alerts, favorites, and reviews, type up my stories, post them, read fan0fiction, and watch Merlin. It only takes 10 seconds to review. So, PLEASE DO! It means A LOT! – even if it's just a smiley face. Thanks! You guys are so awesome! ~ Merlinfanatic77 (and Blood thirsty animal) **


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! I forgot to say when this story takes place. It happens right after 4.9 (the Lancelot episode). I'm not sure why we only have TWO reviews! (Not that I'm complaining. ) I promise it gets better! Thanks so much Sherlockedholmes and my friend, DeaththeKidKat! You guys are amazing! Well, without further ado – READ ON! :D

Chapter two: Discovered

Cynthia bit her lip as she saw the familiar turrets of Camelot. She had visited the castle many times when she had been younger, but now the place terrified her. Nobody except her knights knew that she had magic. Not even Morgana or Mordred knew; she had battled them but had not let them see her true self. Her knights had been sworn to secrecy about her magic, and now that secrecy would be tested, for Camelot despised magic. And, that scared her. She had never been good at keeping her magic secret; many a time she had had to erase the memories of her friends because she let her secret out. She took a deep breath and entered the square of the castle along with her trusted knights. Her eyes were still a puffy red, as the tears every night and morning did not ease. Her legs swung off her majestic horse and her feet touched the ground. Her eyes took in the whole castle and the people on the stone steps that welcomed her.

~ break ~

Princess Cynthia was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. Half of the men in the courtyard, including Arthur, simply gaped as she rode into the courtyard. Cynthia's long, dirty-blond hair cascaded down her back. True, she was dirty but she had a look of prettiness about her none the less. Freya had looked much the same way. Cynthia's big, green eyes were calculating, taking everything in. Merlin wasn't sure what to make of her. She was both innocent and fierce, timid and bold. Merlin gasped. He could feel it – she had magic!

"Princess Cynthia, or should I say queen?"

"Princess will do."

Arthur took her hand and gently led her down from her horse. "It's a pleasure to see you again. I just wish it was on different circumstances."

Cynthia flinched but quickly regained her composure.

"It's going to be all right." Arthur knew how it felt to be orphaned. He vowed to now let Cynthia go through all of the pain and grief alone. "We will talk later. Right now, you should freshen up. Merlin! Show Princess Cynthia to her rooms."

"Yes, sire."

Arthur turned towards Gwaine, Percival, Leon, and Elyan. "Make sure her knights get everything they need."

"Yes, sire!" They replied in unison.

It's a good thing Arthur hadn't seen Merlin's expression as he touched Princess Cynthia. For, if he had, he would have been deeply concerned. Merlin composed his expression and lead Princess Cynthia into the castle.

~ break ~

Cynthia was not shy to the fact that people thought she was beautiful. She had had many admires before, but for some unknown reason she had always felt repelled by it. In her head she was just a normal faced girl with powers that could kill her if she let people see them. She was vaguely aware of someone talking to her, the king. He was dashing of course; many people had spoken about his beauty. They hadn't been lying. Sighing she gave a sort of saddened smile as she listened and then looked down at her hand that the manservant named Merlin had taken. His hand felt warm, but there was something to it, a raw sort of power. She felt herself gasp as a name ran through her head. Emrys; she had heard the name so many times before, but now as her green dimmed eyes probed his face, she could see something - something so amazing underneath the surface that it made her almost grip his hand tighter. "Thank you, Emrys" she whispered oh so quietly, so only the manservant could hear it. She swore that she could feel his body go rigid as he heard his Druid name being said. She let herself be lead into the castle as she wondered what would happen next.

How was it? What will happen next? Please review! It means the world to us, and I can guarantee we'll update faster if you comment. You're THE BEST! ~ Merlinfanatic77 (and Blood the thirsty animal)


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Long time, no see! *smiles sheepishly* OK, I know it hasn't been like FOREVER since I updated (almost a week!) But, I REALLY want my next chapter in my other story to be REALLY good, and our updates for this story are REALLY long! I hope you guys start to LOVE this story! :D Well, READ ON!

Chapter three: You're Not Worthless

A thousand thoughts raced through Merlin's head. How did Princess Cynthia know he was Emrys? Had he let something slip? He felt like a complete idiot. How was he supposed to keep his secret from Arthur, who he saw every day, if he couldn't keep it from a girl he had only just met? He brushed the thought from his mind. He didn't have time to think about complicated questions right now. He had to think of how to deal with Princess Cynthia. As he walked out of the courtyard, he took a deep breath. It was now or never. No one was watching. He whipped his head around and glared at her. "Why did you call me Emrys? Why do you want Camelot to fall?"

~ break ~

The immediate question seemed to storm her brain, and she took a step back. "Camelot to fall? I would never want Camelot to fall!" She almost yelled in a harsh whisper. With a sad sigh, she looked at the great warlock and bit her lip. "To my kingdom, magic was always good. It was never used for evil, and no one took a second thought to it. Emrys, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you. My mother and father are dead, thanks to my wench of a cousin, Morgana. I promise you that when I find her, she will die." She whispered the last word, not realizing her voice had contained more malice then she had wanted to inject. She wondered if he still was confused, and in a moment she had pulled him into an alcove where nobody could see them and whispered the ancient word for fire. And, with an open of her palm, and a flash of gold from her beautiful green hues, a beautiful orange flame danced in the center. "I'm like you, I wish you no harm. I just want to have a balance in the world: two lives for one life - the life of one worthless cousin." whispered Cynthia, as tears made small tracks on her face. She closed her palm, hoping that he now understood.

~ break ~

Merlin felt his guard drop. Both his weakness and his strength was sympathizing with people, and he could certainly sympathize with Cynthia. She had magic! And, she wasn't trying to destroy Camelot such as most sorcerers. But, that wasn't his main thought.

"You're not worthless." He whispered.

"Thanks." She didn't seem convinced.

"Look. I have to get back to Arthur." He said, sorry to have to leave, but knowing he had to get back to 'The Prat'. "But," He continued, "I want to talk to you later. OK?"

She nodded.

"I'll meet you in the vaults."

"OK" Cynthia said, timidly. "And, Merlin, thank-you."

"For what?"

"For giving me a chance." A smile graced her lips, and he grinned. It looked like she had just made a new friend.

~ break ~

As Merlin seemed to weave past her away from the alcove, she sighed and rested her head on the wall. He knew about her now, and he didn't hate her. At least that was good, someone who she could relate to. Cynthia closed her eyes as she thought about her home. It was beautiful and magical, where as her new home was beautiful but magic-less. This place was scarred; magic was being tormented here, and it needed to be healed. But, it would take more than killing Uther to heal it. Magic needed to be restored, good magic. It wouldn't be easy, but it could be done when things were ready. Sighing she opened her eyes and walked away from the alcove to her room which was just two doors down; her bags had already been brought up, and the room looked pretty cozy, but it needed a homely touch. Biting her lip, she headed to the nearest belonging she had and put it on the table. It was a sword of some kind of metal that had the words-"to my loving daughter, on her eighteenth birthday"-inscribed on it. It was probably the most valuable thing she owned, yet she never used it when she had been told that she should. As she stood thinking, she smiled suddenly and pulled out some fighting clothes-a pair of black, tight fitting trousers and a white shirt-she hated royal clothing! It was good to look like she was royal, but also almost simple at the same time. As she changed, she picked up her beloved sword and another one and closed the door to the chambers behind her. She began walking around the castle, trying to find her knights. eventually, she came to find her most trusted knight and smiled. "Sir Alex, will you train with me? Father said that I should use this sword more often, and I guess I would like to do good on the promise I gave him." she half whispered as the knight nodded with a smile and walked her towards the empty training field. On the training field, she bit her lip and closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she opened them. All persona of a sad, little princess of twenty years old was gone. It was just a warrior fighting another warrior, with no magic to aid her in her battle, as the fought, a small group of knights began to gather and watch as the princess from the other kingdom fought with her own knight and was winning at every twist and turn. And the knight, Sir Alex, did not seem to be going easy. She mentally screamed with sadness at one point and started turning her sadness into rage as she fought harder and harder, trying to win against the knight that still seemed to be holding strong. After all, he was the best knight of her kingdom for nothing.

**How was it? Did you love it? Hate it? Please, please, review! It makes our day! You guys are THE BEST! HUGS! :D ~ Merlinfanatic77 (and Blood thirsty animal) **


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